Northwood Residence

    4898 Highway 135 N, Salem, IN, 47167
    2.7 · 3 reviews
      AnonymousLoved one of resident
      1.0

      Neglectful care leads to death

      I placed my mom at this out-of-town facility and was very disappointed. The house is attractive with nice outdoor spaces, natural light and some spacious private rooms, but the atmosphere felt depressing, residents seemed sad, couches were dirty and rooms inconsistent. Food was low quality-she was barely fed and was given frozen chicken nuggets she couldn't chew-and care felt insufficient: hospital transfer was denied, communication about her status was poor, and my mom later died; I believe an oxycodone overdose was involved. Staff will try to help and are responsive, but given the care failures and my financial concerns I am requesting a refund of the monthly fee.

      Pricing

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      Amenities

      2.67 · 3 reviews

      Overall rating

      1. 5
      2. 4
      3. 3
      4. 2
      5. 1
      • Care

        1.0
      • Staff

        2.5
      • Meals

        1.0
      • Amenities

        3.5
      • Value

        1.0

      Pros

      • Attractive, home-like building and curb appeal
      • Multiple outdoor spaces (balcony, porch, patio)
      • Wheelchair ramp / accessible entry
      • Private rooms with private bathrooms reported as spacious
      • Open living/dining area with lots of natural light
      • Staff described as responsive and willing to try to obtain needed items

      Cons

      • Poor dining quality and reports residents are barely fed
      • Use of low-quality/frozen processed foods (e.g., chicken nuggets)
      • Food not appropriate for residents with chewing/swallowing difficulties
      • Allegations of insufficient medical care and denied hospital transfer
      • Alleged medication issue (oxycodone overdose) and resident death
      • Poor or inaccurate communication with families about resident status
      • Financial disputes: refund request and broader financial concerns
      • Depressing, unpleasant atmosphere with disengaged residents
      • Conflicting reports about room size; some say rooms are small/cramped
      • Cleanliness issues (e.g., unclean couch)
      • Out-of-town / inconvenient location

      Summary review

      Overall sentiment across the reviews is mixed but leans strongly toward serious concerns about care quality and safety despite positive impressions of the facility's physical environment. Multiple reviewers praise the home's appearance and features: the building is described as beautiful and home-like, with abundant natural light, an open living/dining area, and multiple outdoor spaces (balcony, porch, patio). Accessibility features such as a wheelchair ramp and the availability of private rooms with private bathrooms are cited as important positives. Several reviewers also note that staff can be responsive when asked for items or assistance, indicating some strengths in day-to-day customer service responsiveness.

      However, these positives are overshadowed by recurring and significant criticisms around clinical care, communication, and operational management. The most serious issues raised include allegations that a resident was not adequately fed, repeated complaints about low-quality food (including the use of frozen chicken nuggets), and reports that food and feeding practices were not adapted to a resident who could not chew. Beyond dining, reviewers allege insufficient medical care: there are claims that a hospital transfer was denied when it was needed, that communication about the resident's status was poor or inaccurate, and that a resident subsequently passed away. One review explicitly alleges an oxycodone overdose. These are severe safety and clinical concerns; the language in the reviews frames them as allegations and grievances that families would likely want verified and investigated by authorities or through facility administration.

      Staff-related impressions are mixed and nuanced. On one hand, reviewers describe staff as willing to try to get things you need and responsive to requests, which suggests that frontline teams may be personable and service-oriented for nonclinical needs. On the other hand, reviewers report that clinical judgment, escalation to hospitals, medication management, and communication with families were problematic. This contrast points to a potential operational gap: the facility may excel at hospitality-type responsiveness but be inconsistent or deficient in clinical care, documentation, and critical incident management. Poor or inaccurate communication about a loved one’s status is repeatedly cited and compounds family distress when clinical outcomes are poor.

      The social and emotional environment also emerges as a concern. Several reviewers describe the atmosphere as depressing, with residents appearing sad and not engaged in activities. This suggests limited programming, low staffing for social engagement, or an environment that does not encourage resident participation. Cleanliness problems (a noted unclean couch) and contradictory comments about room size — some reviews praising spacious private rooms while others call rooms small and cramped — indicate variability in unit layouts, room types, or uneven standards of housekeeping and maintenance.

      Financial and administrative issues appear as another theme. A reviewer requested a refund of a monthly fee and expressed broader financial concerns, signaling dissatisfaction with how billing, refunds, or contractual obligations are handled. Combined with the clinical and communication complaints, this raises questions about transparency and trust between families and management.

      Patterns and takeaways: reviewers consistently praise the physical setting and some aspects of staff responsiveness, but there are multiple red flags around clinical care, safety, communication, and resident engagement. The presence of an alleged medication overdose, a death, claims of denied hospital transfer, and accusations of insufficient feeding are especially serious and merit independent verification and follow-up. Potential residents and families should weigh the facility's attractive environment and accessibility against these reported safety and care concerns, request detailed information about clinical staffing levels, medication management policies, emergency transfer protocols, dining and therapeutic feeding practices, activity programming, housekeeping standards, and dispute/refund processes before making placement decisions.

      Location

      Map showing location of Northwood Residence

      About Northwood Residence

      Northwood Residence sits in Salem, IN, and gives seniors a quiet, home-like place to live with several care choices like independent living, assisted living, memory care, nursing home care, and residential care home services, all managed by Ms. Leah Spurgeon, Owner/Operator, and a team of trained caregivers and healthcare staff who help with daily needs such as dressing, bathing, and medicine management, and these caregivers are around to help when needed but also let folks keep their independence when possible. The place features big private rooms with bathrooms for comfort and privacy, an open living and dining room filled with sunlight, a balcony out back looking over the woods, and a south-facing covered porch for watching traffic and chickens in the yard, plus a patio and a wheelchair ramp for easy access, and lots of windows for natural light, all of which make the setting calm and peaceful and good for people who want a quieter, more private living situation than you'd always find in larger, busier places.

      Seniors here get plenty of chances to join social, educational, and entertaining activities, with a regular calendar that keeps folks active and helps them make friends, and the staff offer meals and services like laundry and provide help with therapy for those with Alzheimer's or memory loss, all in spaces meant to lower confusion and keep wandering in check, focused on promoting health, happiness, and a sense of community among everyone living here. Northwood Residence holds a 6.5 review score based on feedback from residents and families, and it welcomes people with different care needs, whether they need just a little bit of help or daily support, even specialized dementia care, and the grounds sit close to churches of many types, parks like Delaney Park and Salem Community Park, several restaurants, three pharmacies, and four hospitals, so residents don't have to go far for medical care, dining out, or some time in nature. Families who are thinking about moving a loved one here can check ratings, reviews, and pricing through the community's website, read about the place on the blog or about page, or talk to senior living advisors for guidance, and the facility answers reviews and makes sure they're verified, which can help families feel more confident about their choice.

      The home has a schedule for trips to town, which gives folks a way to stay part of the wider community, and there are special programs and amenities named for different features, so people can find something that fits what they want, and the staff works to give each person the care and support that's right for them, whether that's daily help with bathing and getting dressed or just a friendly face around the house. Northwood Residence runs with business hours from 8AM to 9PM on weekdays and 8AM to 5:30PM on weekends and offers consultation and referral services at no charge to help families find the right fit. The place feels like a retreat, with hospitality and a focus on making people feel at home, and it favors those who want a smaller, close-knit place to live with plenty of care but not so much hustle and bustle.

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